We were lucky to catch up with Addison Clarke and Kyle Visin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Addison & Kyle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

When my business partners (Kyle Visin & Emily Foley) and I (Addison Clarke) decided to take a leap and open our own group fitness studio, we never imagined that we’d be taking a second leap almost 7 years down the line and franchising that business to provide the opportunity for other entrepreneurs to create their dream job using our model.
Our experience opening RiseUp Fitness was a whirlwind and one of the steepest learning curves that any of us had ever had to climb. From previous experience in the industry, the three of us knew the environment we wanted to create, the workouts we wanted to run, and had knowledge of some of the mechanics of the business, but we learned everything from website-building to financial accounting in a matter of months (some things, weeks!). Jumping into business together was the biggest risk any of us had ever taken.
After opening our doors in July of 2018, we were thrilled with the response from our local community. Our commitment to continually learning and improving in all areas of our business — from marketing strategy to client satisfaction to the equipment we used in our workouts allowed our first location to explode in membership.
Our time building our first successful fitness studio in Santa Barbara, CA, then pivoting with several redesigns to actually drive business during the Covid-19 pandemic, to opening our second successful studio in Goleta, CA, is what led to ask: “What’s next?”
We decided that the next big risk would be franchising our business – that is, allowing others looking to own their businesses to use the model that RiseUp Fitness created to open their own studios. The risk of opening up our brand to outside influences (not to mention the financial investment) is intimidating, but the possible future of RiseUp studios across the nation positively impacting countless lives is the big picture we continue to look toward.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We are the founders and owners of RiseUp Fitness (Addison Clarke, Emily Foley, & Kyle Visin). The three of us worked together in the fitness industry in Santa Barbara CA, at first as a passion project — professionally, Kyle was an engineer, Emily was an educator, and I (Addison) had recently graduated college with engineering and anthropology degrees and the possibility of graduate school on the horizon.
After devoting more and more time to our “passion project,” the three of us decided to make it a career and open our own group fitness studio in 2018 in Santa Barbara, CA, which we called “RiseUp Fitness.”
The name came from a foundational belief for all of us — that no matter how many times you fall, you can always rise back up.
Relatedly, you always have the power to rise up to the best version of yourself, which was what we aimed to do for our members. Our studio runs low-impact, high-intensity cardio strength group workouts, designed to be accessible for every fitness level. We’re extremely proud of our diverse community of all ages and fitness levels, and that we’ve created a space for every type of athlete. We never tire of seeing the transformation of a nervous first-time attendee to confident member.
For so many, “getting to the gym” is difficult because too many questions follow: “What do I do? How many reps? How much cardio?” RiseUp solves that problem — you show up to a class, and you get a great workout. That’s it. Our environment is one of encouragement and expert guidance, and the results of our members speak for themselves: healthy bodies, strong social connections, and a sustainable routine that keeps them showing up.

We’re even more excited now to expand the RiseUp Fitness universe by offering RiseUp Fitness franchises. That means that we can provide the opportunity for entrepreneurs to open their own RiseUp Fitness business. Opening a franchise removes so many of the same barriers that stop people from exercising that stop people from owning their own business. E.g. “What kind of business? How do I design it? What are my daily operations? How do I sell memberships?” When you open a RiseUp Fitness, all those questions are answered, and you have the support of people who have already done it successfully!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Since we’re an in-person service, it’s vital that our trainers/coaches (that run our workout classes) are absolutely top-notch, and they are. They get to know everyone’s name, fitness level, and offer guidance and motivation. That can’t be faked!
Our product is also incredibly refined – our workouts have been designed with science and experience and they get results. Our members get stronger and fitter, and they want to tell their friends about it.
Within that same vein, our members are drawn into our greater community. It starts at the top with the owners, who build relationships with staff, trainers, and members, who then build relationships with each other. Especially in a post-pandemic world, the social interactions can’t be undervalued.
Finally, our community welcomes everyone. Even if someone decides it’s not the workout for them, it’s undeniable that there is a place for absolutely everyone, and those good feelings go around.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

First and foremost, have an amazing product. Our workouts are the best in the business – able to personalized, with a balanced blend of low-impact but high-intensity cardiovascular, functional strength, and resistance training. The classes are led by expert coaches and they are fun!
Building our community has not only helped with customer referrals, but additionally retains customers by giving them additional reasons to keep showing up. It makes a difference when people notice if you fall off the map.
Word-of-mouth marketing is especially important in local communities, so incentivizing members to recruit their friends is a great strategy.
Outreach through marketing is also vital. People need to be able to find you! We’ve found that concise marketing with a clear and truthful message is the most effective, especially when the health and wellness space is flooded with nonsense claims and people trying to make a buck off baseless remedies.
There is never one magic bullet to growing clientele; it requires a multi-pronged approach that helps drive business from multiple angles.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.riseupfitness.com, www.riseupfitnessfranchise.com
• Instagram: @riseupfitnessSB, @riseupfitnessfranchise
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/riseupfitnesssb
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/riseup-fitness-corporate